The Butterfly
by Eboni
Summary: A traumatic event in Buttercup's life causes her to have to grow up prematurely.
1. Default Chapter

The Butterfly

By: Eboni  
  


"Aaaaaaarg!!" A man about six feet tall , blondish hair, nice eyes, went spiraling from the 13th floor of the apartment complex. 

The hoovering red haired girl below gazed up at the tumbling man in terrible surprise. "Oh no!" She directed her body upward, rising rapidly in hopes of catching the man and preventing the eminent death that would occur to him if he struck the pavement falling from that height. His much larger body thudded into hers, almost making her lose her momentum. She steadied herself, securing the man, who had fainted from fear in her arms, and lowered herself to the ground where the proper authorities stood waiting to take the man into custody. She passed him off to the awaiting officer. Then looked directly above her, to the broken window on the 13th floor where the man had fallen from. From the shattered pane poked the head of a young girl with savage green eyes and wild dark hair. The girl glared down at the red head, and disappeared from sight.

"Damn you BC..." She muttered under her breath, turning away from the reporter who was trying to shove a microphone in her face. 

Blossom Utonium had had enough. Standing at 4 feet 6 inches tall, head of red hair shining and rippling down her back, pink eyes flashing, the unofficial leader of the super heroine trio known as the Powerpuff Girls, was pissed. It was the 4th time that month that BC had gone too far. Throwing people from deadly heights, beating them beyond all recognition, and practicing just plain cruelty that could be dubbed by the term of sadistic. Blossom was the leader, she was the one that was supposed to be able to keep everyone in check, but BC, the unruly sister, wouldn't listen. 

"Blossom, it's almost 9." Bubbles, the sweet one, who would have almost seemed innocent if Blossom hadn't of seen her just recently deliver a kick so hard to a man's face teeth sailed from his mouth onto the street. Bubbles stood an inch shorter than Blossom, her blond hair tied in two perky high ponytails, her blue eyes sparkled as she gazed at the criminals they had just apprehended. She felt accomplished, and had apparently not seen what had just transpired with the plummeting man. Bubbles, the scatterbrained one, the dazed one, actually surprised them all by expressing her displeasure at what BC was doing. But unlike Blossom, she wasn't simply angry, she was concerned. What was going on in that girl's head?

"I know... I guess we better be getting home then," Blossom said with a sigh. Home to deal with BC... Joy. She couldn't wait... 

"Where's Buttercup?" Buttercup. Bubbles was the only other person besides the Professor who bothered to call her that anymore. Ever since her enraged outburst during recess a few months ago at the name she hated so much, the nickname "BC" became her first and middle name. 

Blossom shrugged, she gazed back up to the window, "Who knows? Maybe she went home already."

Bubbles frowned, "I saw what she did."

Blossom threw a look at her blond sister. So she did have eyes after all, "Yeah... that guy would have been street pizza if it weren't for me. We don't fight like that Bubbles. She used to understand that!" 

Bubbles chewed her full lower lip like she always did when something troubled her. Pretty Bubbles spoiling her looks with the wrinkles she was putting in her face from pouting, Blossom thought bitterly. 

The girls were 8 years old, and already beginning to grow out of their awkward phase they had initially entered the world in. Their eyes were becoming smaller, their noses grew more prominent, and they developed digits on their hands and feet. Bubbles was the pretty one, with full pink lips, golden skin, and eyes still maybe a little too large for her face giving her a "china doll" look. 

"Something's wrong Blossom.," Bubbles said simply after a long pause. "The professor said just to give her time, she'll talk to us eventually. She has to."

"And when will this eventually be, huh Bubbles? After she's killed someone for a petty robbery?" Blossom rolled her eyes. "Come on, let's get home, it's almost bed time."

"Right," Bubbles agreed, her voice sad and quiet. Together the two sisters took to the air, and began their short flight home.   
  


The professor was waiting for the girls in the den when they arrived home. "How was the fight? Anyone hurt?"

Bubbles shook her head, one of her ponytails hitting her in the face, "Everything went fine, Professor."

Blossom fought back a scowl unsuccessfully, "What's wrong Blossom? And where is Buttercup?" He scanned the room for his dark haired daughter who was nowhere to be seen.

"We were hoping she had come home already," Bubbles said in a small voice. "She left before we did..."

"And she did it again!" Blossom interrupted, she couldn't hold her discontent in any longer. "She almost killed someone else. She flung him from a 13th story window!"

"Maybe it was an accident..."

"It was no accident. She stuck her head out after I caught the guy, and glared bullets at me!" Blossom fumed. "Professor, she's going too far... someone's going to die. I don't know what to do... You've talked with her, I've fought with her..."

Professor Utonium sighed deeply at learning the events of the evening. Buttercup had always been the more violent one, the toughest fighter, but lately she had been going too far to prove her title. She had become almost antisocial, notes were coming home with her from school, she was always arguing with Blossom, and disappearing for disturbing periods of time during the day. The professor talked and talked with her, time and time again, and agreeably, and predictably, each time she would nod and say, "I won't do it again. I'm sorry."

What was going on in her head? 

"Professor? What do we do?" Blossom pressed, gazing intently at the professor. Professor U sighed again as he appraised his red haired daughter. The girls' physical appearances had begun to change over the course of the years. Their features were becoming more proportionate, and they now hand five fingers and toes. They were becoming young ladies. Blossom's waist length hair swirled around her face as she whirled in frustration. She wore fringed bangs that just touched her eyes, and had done away with the large trademark red bow she used to wear in her hair a year ago. It looked too babyish, she had said. She had the look of a wild woman, her thick red eyebrows coming together as her face creased in anger, her skin flushed, and small lips pursed. Professor wondered what she would look like when she reached adult hood. She was a rather awkward looking child, who one day did have the potential to become a rather attractive woman. 

"We should have a family meeting Blossom, " Professor said softly. "That way we can all talk, and express our concern." 

"Do you think it will do any good?" Blossom wondered aloud. 

"We'll see," Professor said with a light smile. "Why don't you girls go and start washing up for bed. I'll call you down when she comes in."

"Yes Professor," they said in unison. Bubbles skipped up the stairs humming a pop tune to herself as she traveled. Professor smiled, his little Bubbles... she wasn't the smallest of the girls, but she would always be known as the "little one." She was the true little girl of his children, the one who liked dolls, and crayons, and make believe. Pretty Bubbles, with her pretty dreams and fantasies. The other two were mature for their ages, sometimes too mature for their own good. 

Professor sat down in front of the television, not really watching it, but liking the background noise it gave as he waited for Buttercup's entrance.   
  


He'd instructed Blossom and Bubbles to go to bed around midnight, and sat up alone pacing. Buttercup had never stayed out this late. She was always pushing the rules, but this was being a bit much. Should he call the police? He'd sent the other girls to bed because of the hour, and because he hadn't wanted them to sit up and worry with him. Maybe he should wake them and have them search for their sister. 

The front door opened slowly, and a tiny figure crept in quietly. Professor turned immediately to the door, and hurried to Buttercup who was closing the door softly. "Where have you been young lady? Do you know what time it is? Do you know how worried I've been?"

Buttercup stood still, her head slightly bowed, her hair damp... Her hair was always damp when she returned after hours. Why?

"I'm sorry," she said softly. "I..."

"You won't do it again," Professor finished for her. He glared at the girl, "I am tired of hearing that you're sorry. You're not, because if you really were you wouldn't keep doing this to me. Now we're going to sit down on the couch, and we're going to talk. You're going to tell me what's going on with you." Laying a firm hand on her shoulder the Professor tried to guide Buttercup to the couch. He frowned when she resisted. "I don't want to talk. I'm tired. Why can't I just go to bed?"

"It's after midnight Buttercup, and you're just coming in. I don't think you should be able to call any of the shots, much less decide for yourself how you're going to spend the next hour of your life. Now come, sit. We're going to talk."

"I said I don't want to talk!" Buttercup shouted. She removed his hand from her shoulder using a little of her super strength. "You can't make me DO anything!" 

"Buttercup," Professor gapped at her. Was she threatening him, challenging his authority? And what could he do against her? She had the power of 100 Professors, 200 Professors.... He stared, "You don't know what you're doing."

"I know what I'm doing!" Buttercup grumbled. "I'm going to bed." With that, she huffed past him dripping water onto the floor, and floated up the stairs.

Blossom sat up in bed after Buttercup's entrance. She'd heard, with her supersonic hearing, the altercation that had gone on downstairs. She knew Bubbles had too, but she feigned sleep to avoid confrontation. Bubbles was such a pacifist. Well someone had to let Buttercup know that is was not ok for her to disrespect the Professor like that, or any other of her elders. Buttercup had slipped off her long pants and t-shirt, and was about to plod to the bathroom in her underwear, leaving her clothes in a soggy pile on the floor, when Blossom placed herself in her path. "Move it Red."

"BC, you were supposed to be in at 9...it's past midnight. Where have you been?"

"None of your business," Buttercup tried to push past her, but failed as Blossom kept her boxed in from leaving.

"I heard you threaten the Professor."

"I didn't threaten him!"

"You challenged his authority! You let him know that he had no real control over you. BC, you can't do that to people..."

"Look, I didn't mean it. Of course I listen to him...I just...I didn't want to talk! I don't want to talk! Will everyone just get out of my face, and leave me alone! Im back! I go to school, I do my homework....I fight monsters... Leave me alone!" She gave Blossom a hard push, sending her sister flying into the wall behind them, then stormed out of the bedroom at top speed. 

Blossom pulled herself from the steel reinforced walls. The Professor, once he realized that girls' innocent, yet rather destructive nature, had the house redone with steel lining to save himself from future renovation fees. Blossom glared after the path her sister had taken, and brought herself back to bed, sitting in her designated area brooding. She folded her arms over her chest and bowed her head. Her hair was pulled back in a neat ponytail that kept it from falling into her face. 

She felt Bubbles shifting on her side of the bed, and looked to see her sister's blue eyes opened and focusing on her. "So you finally decide to quit pretending to be asleep, huh? Why didn't you stop Buttercup from throwing me into that wall?"

Bubbles frowned, "I told you to leave her alone Blossom."

"You heard what she did to the Professor..."

"The Professor didn't take action, so what give you right to?" 

"He doesn't have super powers...He's afraid of her! I can defend myself!"

"The Professor made us, you don't really think he wouldn't have a way of dealing with us if something ever happened...? He's a genius Blossom."

Blossom bit her lip... Bubbles was not as dense as she acted most of the time. She was actually very bright, and extremely intuitive. She knew a lot of things that no one ever gave her credit for.

"He's trying to give her room Blossom. Why don't you do the same? She'll talk when she's ready. You're just running her off. Next time...next time she might not come back, if she thinks she's going to get THIS every time she does."

Blossom huffed, Bubbles was right, but she didn't want to admit it, "Where else would she go? She's 8 years old. She has to come home to eat, to sleep."

"She's not a normal 8 year old...none of us are. You really thing we couldn't survive on our own?"

Blossom was silent. "She's going to get someone killed."

"Hope it won't come to that to get her to open up, then," Bubbles said softly, then shut her eyes and rolled back over , this time to really get some sleep.  
  


She would never be able to get herself clean enough, no matter how much she scrubbed, and the pure thought and feel of the filth that was beneath her skin brought back all the anger and frustration she thought she'd worked off! She sat in a bathtub of scalding water working furiously over her wrinkling skin with the harsh antibacterial bar soap. She'd poured a little Lysol into the scalding water as well, but she feared she didn't pour in enough...it wasn't burning as it usually did. Careful not to get into your eyes....she reminded herself. She had done that the last time, and it hadn't been pleasant. She scrubbed some more with her little scouring pad, cringing as she felt it bite into her skin and draw blood. She had to get clean.

She climbed out of the tub, her skin burning and tingling, it hurt to touch it with a towel, so she had to let herself air dry. She peered at her reflection in the steamy mirror....what was reflected there almost brought her to breaking the glass. She saw a small weak bodied girl, with raw reddened skin, and a horrible tangle of black hair on her head...her eyes were much too large, her features too bland. Why had he wanted her? She was too ugly for anyone to take interest in... It had to be because she was weak. She couldn't fight him. He had managed to overtake her. Weak, weak, weak! She pulled at her dark tangles. 

"I hate you," she spoke to the reflection her voice dripping with venom, "I hate you!" She found herself on the floor just before the sink, as her knees had apparently given way, and there she cried while the frigid tile of the bathroom floor soothed her burning skin.

What good was a heroine who couldn't even protect herself? 

  
  


  
  



	2. Chapter 2

  
  


Chapter 2

  
  


Professor was setting the table when Blossom came down stairs fully dressed and ready for school the following morning. She sat her book bag down on the couch and walked into the kitchen immediately going to the refrigerator and pulling out the orange juice.

"No need Blossom, I'll get it," Professor spoke softly, he gazed at the redhead with saddened eyes. He knew she had probably overheard what had gone on the previous night, judging from the loud "thud" that practically rattled the foundation of the house coming from the girls' bedroom minutes after his confrontation with Buttercup. He was a trifle embarrassed. Had he lost any of her respect, for not standing up to his dark haired daughter like he should have since he was playing the role of father figure? 

"Don't worry about it Professor," she turned, her pink eyes meeting his brown ones her expression loving, "I can help you. Let me."

Professor felt his eyes watering, Blossom was not just offering her help with breakfast from the word she chose to use, nor the expression on her face. She was concerned about him, and letting him know she was ready to step in if anything got out of hand with... He blinked, "I shouldn't have pushed her last night."

"She shouldn't have threatened you."

"She didn't threaten me, Blossom."

"She challenged you Professor. She basically said you have no control over her, because she's stronger than you are."

"She's a hurt little girl, who didn't want her father figure prying into her private matters. I told you girls to give her space, and I went against my own advice. Whatever's wrong with my Buttercup, I won't find out by being a bully."

"You have to bully BC, or else she won't do anything right! I personally don't see anything wrong in what you did. She worried you, she broke the rules, you're supposed to punish her, not let her get away. I'll help you control her."

"Blossom this isn't about strength."

"With BC everything's about strength."

"Bloss..."

"Professor, she's gone wild. I won't stand for it anymore, and I need you to stand behind me. She can't challenge my authority as leader, and she can't challenge yours as a parent. Together we can put her in her place. We can make her talk, have her tell us whatever is wrong...or just get her to agree to behave and keep her silence," Blossom slammed the container of orange juice down on the kitchen table forgetting her own strength in her passion, and smashing the cardboard carton flat causing juice to splash and flooding the table and dribbling over its edges onto the floor. "Oops."

"Oh no Blossom, your blouse!" Bubbles dashed into the kitchen, her blue eyes wide at seeing the mess her pink eyed sister had created. She was surprised that it was Blossom making such a childish mistake at spilling the orange juice and not her, or Buttercup. Blossom was usually very careful. Bubbles disguised her surprise with her concern over Blossom's clothes. "This is your new one isn't it?" 

Blossom shrugged, "Doesn't matter, I'll just change..."

"Well take the blouse off and give it to me, I'll put it in the wash," Professor said, his voice neutral, but his eyes penetrating... Leave Buttercup alone, they said.

Blossom stood tense, but then nodded unbuttoning her light pink blouse and yielding it over to the Professor. He held the cloth out as if to inspect it, but was really trying to avoid having the still dripping orange liquid from contaminating his starched white lab coat. He shot a last warning look at Blossom before disappearing in the direction of the laundry room. 

"What was that about? And what happened in here? You don't spill."

"Nothing," Blossom said tersely. "Bubbles, be a doll and clean this up for me, will you? I'd hate for it to get sticky before I have a chance to come back down and wipe it up myself."

Bubbles frowned deeply, "It only takes a minute to snap on another blouse Blossom."

"Fine, leave it. I'll get it when I come back down..."

"Please leave her be," Bubbles begged. "Don't start a fight this early in the morning."

Blossom was already heading up the stairs. Buttercup had frightened the Professor. He seemed petrified at the idea of talking to her again. Blossom just couldn't let her get away with it. Maybe she did have a real problem, but she couldn't take it out on the people who loved her. She had to know she could pick on and yell at Blossom all she wanted, Blossom could take her..but not the Professor. Though Bubbles pointed out he probably did have a way of dealing with them physically, the mental damage Buttercup could dish out could leave him completely incapacitated. She had let it rest that night physically, and she thought she had let it rest that night mentally, but she hadn't. She realized at the start of the new day that she did not want to have to walk on egg shells around Buttercup, and she didn't want anyone else in her family to have to either. Buttercup was not special. She stormed up the stairs in her skirt and dress shoes, not caring about the ridiculous picture she made all dressed up from the waist down, and naked from the waist up. 

The light to the bedroom was still on, and she walked in expecting to find Buttercup inside still lounging around, maybe half dressed like she had all the time in the world to get ready for school. No Buttercup. Blossom stalked to her dresser and snatched out the first pink blouse she laid hands on. She shook it out and put her arms through it, buttoning it quickly, then she made her way out of the room. The bathroom light was on. She should knock, but she didn't want to give Buttercup any advantage over her if she knew she was coming, so instead she threw the door open. The door gave way with a crack, letting Blossom know that it had been locked. She heard Buttercup cry out in shock and outrage as the door opened in on her. She stood half naked, desperately trying to cover herself as Blossom gapped at her. 

She wore her panties and a sleeveless undershirt so her legs and arms were revealed, scarlet as a steamed lobster. It looked as if someone had been scrubbing at her skin with Ajax, scalding water, and a floor sander. "Wha..."

"Get out...GET OUT!" Her enraged screams had been quiet at first but they gained intensity as she began to hurl things at her sister and charge toward her in an attempt to throw Blossom out herself.

Blossom was paralyzed, she didn't even notice Buttercup barreling toward her in a blaze of fury until she was being bowled over by the smaller girl. "Why couldn't you KNOCK?! WHY CAN'T YOU LEAVE ME ALONE?!" Blossom didn't even defend herself as the raven haired menace attacked her and struck at her face and middle fiercely. "I hate you Blossom! I HATE you!" 

"What's going on up there?" Professor's voice, and the sound of pounding feet settled Buttercup's rage a bit. She couldn't let anyone else see her undressed. She dashed back into the bathroom, and struggled to get dressed as quickly as possible. 

"Blossom, what happened?" she heard Bubbles' timid voice as she pulled the heavy green sweatshirt over her head.

"Buttercup?" Professor was calling for her, she zipped her baggy blue jeans. She emerged from the bathroom, hair still wild, feet bare, with an expression she'd practiced in the mirror many a time before, indifference. 

"What's going on between you two?"

Buttercup shrugged looking down at her toes cooly, then back at the Professor and Bubbles. She avoided Blossom's eyes at all costs, afraid of what she might see reflected in them.

"Blossom?"

"I..."

Buttercup felt the sore raw flesh of her shoulders tense as she waited for Blossom to tell the Professor and Bubbles what she had seen.

"I didn't know, and I barged into the bathroom...and I must have really scared BC. I'm...I'm sorry BC, it won't happen again."

Buttercup blinked, her green eyes did seek Blossom's pink ones then. Why hadn't she told? Didn't Blossom tell the Professor everything? The pink eyes stared clear into the green ones, we will talk about this, and you're not getting away from me this time.

"Buttercup, did Blossom scare you?"

Buttercup swallowed before answering, "Y...yeah. I don't know what I thought she was, but she startled me."

"Ok," Professor looked at a loss for words. He frowned at his dark haired daughter, "Well, I guess you'd better finish getting ready for school. Breakfast is on the table... I even mixed you some chocolate milk, ok?"

Buttercup glanced at him, her eyes filling for a moment... How could he still love her after how she treated him last night? She wasn't worthy of anyone's love, not anymore.

"Ok," she breathed. Professor stood with his arms down at his sides, his face so sad... did he want a hug? She felt she should give him one, she would have given him one in the past... But she wasn't tainted then. She was too unclean to be touched. Had she let herself be touched since that day? She shuddered involuntarily, she didn't think so. She had been very careful in making sure no one touched her and she touched no one in return, no one clean anyway...dirt rubbed off. 

"Thank you," she said instead of touching him, and she passed by her family to go into the bedroom to slip on her socks and shoes and get her books together. Her hair....she never combed it anymore, appearances were for the wholesome. She let the shoulder length black sea of chaotic waves and curls fight it out amongst themselves. 

She sat at the kitchen table across from Bubbles and Professor, beside Blossom, and lifted her fork without a word to pick at her breakfast. "Don't you like eggs and bacon anymore Buttercup?" Bubbles asked.

Buttercup set down her fork, staring down at the plate in horror. If she'd had anything in her mouth right then she'd have choked on it... It was the same breakfast she had eaten that morning..the morning when... She pushed her plate away hastily and got up from the table, "I'm gonna go on to school. I'll see you there." Before anyone could stop her she was out the door. 

She took to the air as soon as she hit the sidewalk, she had total freedom while she was in the skies. She was in total control of herself, and if she wanted to disappear she could. She needed to work off the frustration for the morning, she needed something physical to do to occupy her desire to scream and break something of value. That was when she heard the distance roar of a beast crawling onto the sandy shores of Townsville Bay. Looks like the god were listening that day...if only they could have listened before.

  
  


"B...." They stared as Buttercup fled the kitchen leaving the house and her school books behind.

"What was that about?" Bubbles spoke she stared at Buttercup's untouched breakfast rations.

Professor shook his head, his face lined with worry. He didn't utter a word, he just took Buttercup's plate to the sink to wash away the offensive breakfast.

"I'm um...gonna go ahead and leave for school too, if that's ok?" Blossom stood, she went to collect her book bag and Buttercup's. "I'll take BC's books to her."

"Oh wait for me Blossom, I'll be ready in a second!" Bubbles called.

Blossom rolled her eyes, she wanted to talk to Buttercup alone, and the last thing she wanted was Bubbles tagging along. 

"Catch up with me if you can," Blossom called to her blond sister and raced out the door to chase after Buttercup. She and the elusive Buttercup needed to have a one on one chat in an environment where Buttercup couldn't easily run out of. 

She took to the air flying straight up hoping to get a glimpse of Buttercup. From a distance she saw a hint of green in the skies heading in a direction that would not take her to Pokey Oaks Elementary School. That was when she heard it...the call of yet another monster slithering in to try to devour Townsville. It looked like she would be letting Bubbles catch her after all. Duty called... but how she hated that the call of duty to her family always had to overshadowed by her call of duty to her hometown. Sadly, confronting Buttercup would have to wait.

When she spotted the blur of blue that was Bubbles approaching, she immediately changed her flight course, and began heading into to town toward the latest monster menace. 

Sadly enough to say at that moment she didn't know if the monster menace she was describing was the intruding creature, or Buttercup. 


	3. Chapter 3

  


**A/N: Thanks for the great feedback. Hairy Gregory and Phoenix have to be the coolest people for reviewing every time I post lol. Thanks guys! You're making the process of writing this story go by much quicker than I thought it would. I just can't seem to stay away from it now. **  
  
  
Chapter 3  
  


"BC WATCH IT!" Blossom shrieked as Buttercup dealt a vicious blow to the monster that sent it spiraling towards an office building. It was well after 8 o'clock meaning the building was inhabited with workers! Blossom threw herself into the line of fire trying to stop the monster's flight toward the building. The heavy body slammed into hers painfully, and she pushed with all her might and will to change the direction of destruction. She felt some of the pressure being reduced, and she opened an eye to see Bubbles beside her helping her push. The monster was sent tumbling to the street.

"What the hell are you doing? Helping it?" Buttercup shrieked. She dived down toward the beast pummeling it with her fist as it offered no defense to her relentless attack on it.

"BC it's down!"

"It's still ALIVE!"

"Blossom we never killed the monsters before...lets not start, ok?" Bubbles looked at Blossom meaningfully. Blossom nodded solemnly as she realized what Bubbles had in mind. Buttercup was smaller than the two of them, and would be very easy to grab, keeping her restrained was another story. Blossom took to Buttercup's left while Bubbles took to her right. In her rage, Buttercup never noticed her sisters' ambush.  
  


Kill it dead...kill it and it will never bother you again. Kill the demon, kill it! Let it die, and maybe I'll die with it, as long as it goes away! The monster suddenly had blond hair and hazel eyes, it leered at her lustfully and smiled showing even white teeth. "Quiet now, my little buttercup... Quiet..." It was on top of her, she thrashed and struck out again, not caring that her fists were coming away wet, damp with black monster blood. "What a beautiful little flower you are buttercup...Shhh, now, or I'll pluck your petals." NO! She used her feet to break ribs, DON'T TOUCH ME! 

Her head snapped back as she was grabbed from either side forcefully and pulled from her revenge. "DON'T TOUCH ME!"

"BC you've got to stop. I think you've killed it."

"GET YOUR HANDS OFF ME!"

"Buttercup, we...."

"DON'T CALL ME THAT!"

She tried to fight them off, but found that she was no match for the two of them. Of course she wasn't, she was weak... How could she forget that?   
  


They flew outside of the city limits and landed just before the Townsville Woods. They released her watching her warily, ready to grab her if she made a move to escape.

Buttercup pulled away from them sitting down on her rump and drawing her short arms and legs into her chest.

"What the hell was that BC?" Blossom exploded. "What the hell was that?! Do you know what you've done? You killed it... I'm pretty sure you killed it."

"Good."

"You could have killed innocent people today as well. What were you thinking about up there?"

"Getting rid of a monster," Buttercup growled dangerously, her green eyes were hooded and menacing like a snake's before it struck. 

"The only monster out there, as far as I'm concerned was you. BC, you're becoming part of the problem. We can't fight crime and you." 

"Then don't fight me. We'd get a lot more accomplished if you'd just let me take care of the garbage. Who needs the scrum you save? Put them in jail, and they're back out the next week. Kill them and they're gone, forever."

"Is that how you think?"

The question needed no answer in Buttercup's mind.

"Butter....er...BC, what's happened to you?" Bubbles demanded, and Blossom blinked. Was Bubbles actually speaking up and going on the attack?

Buttercup bowed her head, her crown of midnight curls obscuring her face, "Leave me alone," she murmured darkly. 

"We've left you alone for long enough, and all you seem to do is get worse! It's been 3 weeks BC, and I'm sick of it!" Blossom seized her sister roughly by the arm and pushed up her thick sleeve. "What is this BC? Is this from a fight, or did you do this?"

Bubbles was gasping from behind her. She hurriedly pushed Blossom out of the way and took Buttercup's blood red arm into her own hands... the skin had been scrubbed off, and angry new skins were being borne to substitute for the abused older layers. "BC... who's done this to you?"

The arm was snatched back, and Buttercup jumped to her feet snarling at them, "Don't touch me! Don't ever touch me!" She backed away from them, her eyes daring one of them to make a move toward her. "Just stay away and leave me alone!"

"We're going to tell the Professor BC. He'll make you..."

"He can't make me do anything! No one can!" Not anymore, she would never let anyone have power over her again.

"You don't know what you're saying," Bubbles said shakily. "You're upset about something, and we want to help you. Please tell us what it is... tell me what it is. Let me help you, BC. This....it's hurting me."

"Oh it's hurting YOU is it? Poor pretty Bubbles with her shiny blond hair and big blue eyes is hurt. Call the police so they can arrest me for my crimes against her. Why does everything have to be about you? Why must you take everything and make it affect you? Everyone's in it for themselves."

"Everyone's in what?" Blossom asked, her eyes narrowed as she glared at Buttercup. "I'm not in anything for myself...I'm in it for the people you hurt. BC, believe it or not, the world does not revolve around you. Other people live on it too, and right now, you're behaving as if you are the only one. What you do DOES affect people! It affects everyone in your family, because you threaten us, everyone in Townsville because you're dangerously stronger than them and they can't protect themselves while you're on one of your wild rampages! You're the only one in it for yourself here, BC....so you tell us. Just what are you trying to get?"

Buttercup glared at Blossom, then at Bubbles who had tears streaming down her face in disgust, "You'd never understand. You could never know how I feel..."

"Maybe if you told us..."

"Tell you? Tell you what? Telling you isn't going to take it away, and make it not happen! Telling you is not going to save the day!"

"B..."

"You develop any time traveling powers as of late Red?"

"No."

"Then you can't help me," Buttercup sneered. "No one can." She gave her sisters one final glare before taking to the air again, "I'm gonna get rid of that corpse. Can't have that lying around Townsville.... it would affect the citizens. I'll see you in school."

The last bell rang for school, and there was still no sign of Buttercup. "She cut school," Blossom was muttering as they exited the classroom. The teacher stopped them on their way out to inquire about Buttercup, "She..."

"We fought a monster this morning, and she felt a little sick after it. Our dad probably decided to keep her home today."

The teacher nodded, accepting the excuse, and telling them to let the Professor know he didn't have to worry about giving a written excuse for Buttercup. 

"Looks like she's going to get away with cutting school," Bubbles said. "The Professor will never have to know, and as long as she comes home on time... Oh no..."

"What?" Blossom asked rather peevishly. She was thinking of Buttercup and how she was would like to wring her little neck.

"You don't think she'd run away do you? She told us to leave her alone...and then we saw her arm...and told her we were gonna tell the Professor."

Blossom froze in her tracks, her eyes growing large, "Oh no." Why else wouldn't she come to school? She knew she'd catch hell at home for skipping. 

"Blossom?"

"Bubbles, we need to go home and tell the Professor everything."

"But Buttercup..."

"We may need the Professor's help in tracking her down."

"So you think..."

"I don't think, I know. She's left us, and with us being in school all day, she has an 8 hour head start on us. We better hurry home!"  
  


Buttercup...my little buttercup? Are you running from me now? Poor little buttercup, why are you afraid? I only want to tell you how beautiful you are. 

LEAVE ME ALONE!

She sat in the shadowy gym alone, her bare legs dangling in the swimming pool. Roz, the gym manager always left the pool open fo her. Buttercup came so often, and at such odd hours, Roz quit trying to keep up and just kept the gate for the girl to get in unlatched, and door with a key taped under the floor mat. 

She wore a regulation green one piece that showcased the angry skins that had her family so upset. She was only trying to get clean. It didn't even hurt that much anymore. 

Little flower, lovely little flower, come to me. Don't you like being told you're lovely? Such soft petals... Such grace.

She slid into the water allowing the water to close over head like a safe being closed, she couldn't hear him underwater. She kicked her legs and moved her arms, and her body began to glide. She could fly here too, in private. She cut through the water like a carving knife through gelatin. Here she was strong, and in control. The water had to surrender to her every will. 

She finally reached the murkier side of the pool, where she could stand up and have her feet touch the bottom and have her head still above water. Her favorite side of the pool, it had secrets just like she did, and she didn't ask it what it hid, nor did it ask her. Full of mystery, she mused about herself and the pool. Did anyone ever think of her as a body of water, she wondered? As poetic as pretty Bubbles was, she perhaps did. Blossom only thought of Buttercup as Satan. That was fine, with Buttercup, the devil shouldn't be messed with. Eventually Blossom would learn that and leave her alone. 

She came up for air shortly, then quickly dove back into the water. If she broke the surface for too long he came back. She swam for hours on end, forgetting about school and family, she only wanted the safety of her shadows. Cold as they may be, they comforted her better than anything else could, and best of all, shadows didn't have voices.

She could stay here forever, and was actually contemplating forever, when she heard the door to the pool room opening behind her, and the sound of three people coming into the room. 

"Buttercup Utonium, you'd better have a very good explanation for this."

She treaded water, and turned to see the Professor standing before the pool glowering down at her with his hands on his hips. Bubbles and Blossom stood beside him, both trying not to make eye contact with her. 

"Come out at once," Professor commanded.

Should she listen to him? He couldn't make her come out... But he was her father, she was supposed to do what he said. She didn't want to give him another reason to hate her. 

But if she came out...he would see, see her uncleanliness. She treaded the dark waters some more staring at her father. The lights came on above the pool, Buttercup had to squint before her eyes got used to the light. Bubbles... The shadows of the deep end had cleared and Buttercup could now see through the clear water to the bottom... She gulped, no more shadows to hide in, no more secrets. She slowly began to swim to the ladder. She climbed out and stood dripping before the Professor watching his anger turn to horror when he took in the state of her body. "Buttercup?"

"Please don't call me that anymore. I'm not a flower."

Professor stared at her, "Who's done this?"

Bubbles appeared with a towel, and held it out to Buttercup, who took it and covered herself with it. Once shielded from the burned flesh, the Professor seemed to snap out of his daze, "Come on girls, time to go home so we can talk."

He reached to put a hand on Buttercup's shoulder, but froze when she took a step back from him, "I can find my own way to the car, assuming that you drove."

Professor blinked, then nodded, "Come on girls."

Buttercup walked ahead of the group, she went into the dressing room to retrieve her clothes. She pulled them on over her damp skin. She never cared if her clothes were wet. She liked the sting of the cool Autumn air on her wet body. Wet clothes, wet skin, wet hair, maybe she'd get sick. Maybe she'd catch pneumonia and die. She came back out, not surprised to see her family waiting right outside the door to the locker room for her. Together they walked out of the gym into the parking lot to the car. Together they got in, but the small family had never been so internally divided in their entire existence. 

"You're still all wet. Why didn't you dry off?" Bubbles asked innocently. 

Buttercup shrugged, "Doesn't matter."

"You're getting the seat wet."

"Should have left me where I was then. I know the way back home."

"We weren't too sure of that," Blossom said somberly with a sigh. She turned around in the front seat to spy upon her dark haired sister. She sat hunched with her head to the floor, but she must have sensed eyes on her, for her head jerked up. Her cool green eyes glared at Blossom, Why can't you just leave me alone?

Because now is not the time for you to be alone, BC. Please try to understand we want to help you...or just stop you from turning into this monster you're becoming.

It was a 20 minute drive back to their house that was filled with silence. When they pulled into the driveway it was dark. The Professor told everyone to get out of the car, and instructed Buttercup to go dry off. When she was done, she was to come downstairs and they would have a family meeting. 

Buttercup shivered as she ventured up the stairs. She chose to dry off in the bedroom, and pulled off her soggy jeans and sweatshirt and reached for a large green towel in her closet. The big cloth came free and as she pulled it towards her body something tumbled out, and floated gracefully around her head tickling her nose and landing on her foot. A buttercup.... 

He was there.

"Hello little flower..." his breath tickled her neck, "still in beautiful and in bloom..." She felt her body freeze as the hypodermic needle was inserted into the flesh of her back. She was his in a matter of seconds.

"My little buttercup..." He lifted her in one fluid motion and crept to the window to make his descent with his tough, but precious flower for his garden. 


	4. Chapter 4

**AN: It's me again. Sorry I took so long to get this up. Serious writer's block. This is the first thing I've written in weeks. I know it's short. I promise the next chapter will be longer :). Thanks for all of the great reviews :)**  
  
Chapter 4  
  


"Someone really should go up and get her Professor, she's been up there way too long. She's trying to avoid us," Blossom said staring at the kitchen table that Bubbles was setting for dinner. Was it dinner time already?

She hardly missed the hard look the Professor gave her, "She'll come down when she's ready Blossom. I have a feeling that what she's going to tell us isn't going to be something that can be fixed with a band-aid. If Buttercup needs time to prepare herself for this, then we'll give it to her."

Blossom fought to keep from rolling her eyes. Her impatience eating at her with a ferocity that frightened her. Blossom was normally so calm, even when certain situations gave her allowance for panic, she remained cool and level headed. Not today, though. Today she couldn't sit still. Something was wrong with one of her sisters, something very wrong. Something, or someone had hurt one of her own, and she wanted to find out who or what... NEEDED to find out who or what...so she could hurt it back just as viciously. She began to analyze Buttercup's deviant behavior in the past month, subtly noting the drastic changes in her personality and when they'd occurred. She recalled Buttercup's reaction to being called her name, to something as simple as being touched. She was so quick to anger, so quick to flee from a tense situation and disappear always returning soaked to the bone. She remembered that morning seeing Buttercup's raw flesh that looked as if she had been rubbing it raw with giant scouring pads...how small and delicate she'd looked at the pool as Blossom, Bubbles, and the Professor hoovered above her angrily. Her small body had been lost in the towel she'd wrapped around herself like a shield. Oh Buttercup.... I did know something was wrong, something was terribly wrong, just like Bubbles said. I just... I just didn't want to see it. I wanted to be angry with you, I needed to pretend you were just being difficult and insolent, rowdy and uncontrollable because you were simply being yourself. I didn't want anything to be really wrong with you. I wanted it to be something as simple as me knocking the sense back into you, you being grounded for a month. I wanted to ignore all the physical signs that you were struggling with inner demons, I wanted ignore all the mental signs... As much as I hate to admit it, BC, you're the tough girl. You're the one who can fly by the seat of your pants and make it back unscathed. The fact that you can get hurt, the fact that someone hurt you to where you have to torture yourself, and keep everything bottled up inside is almost more than I can bear... Because if someone could do that to you, then of course they could do it to Bubbles, poor sweet little Bubbles, or me. Blossom shuddered, what if something horrible were to happen to me. 

She had to know what was happening to Buttercup, she had to know what had done it. What changed her, what was making her act this way? Then Blossom herself could destroy it, make sure that it would never come back out to infect her, or one of her family ever again. 

But then again...if the thing, the horrible event, had destroyed Buttercup, what gave Blossom any grounds to think that she could defeat it? Good God! She wrung her hands together in anticipation, she had to know! She cast a quick look around the kitchen. Bubbles and the Professor looked to be in conversation with one another, and not paying any particular attention to Blossom. She smiled slightly, and quietly slipped from the room. 

She'd talk to Buttercup herself, calmly and rationally. She had to know, she just had to!  
  


She knocked softly on the bedroom door before opening it. "BC," she called in gently. No answer. She peeked inside the room, "BC?"

She entered, no one was there. She frowned at the slightly damp towel on the floor, and the small pile of Buttercup's oversized tomboy apparel. She couldn't help but feel disapproval at her sister's sloppiness. She bent down to begin collecting the pile to be put in the laundry hamper when a slight breeze kissed her features lifting her fiery hair in a light hearted dance about her face. The window was open. With a sudden start she dropped the pile of clothes she'd been collecting. The window was open, and Buttercup was gone! 

"Professor!"

Damn you BC!

"Professor! Bubbles!"

Damn you for running! You knew I needed to know... 

"Professor! Bubbles! Come quick!"

*********************************************************************************************************************************************

The ride in the dark was uneventful. Her body lie placid in the backseat of the vehicle, the soft leather of the seat creating a comfortable cushion. She could hear him, his voice...he was probably speaking to her, but she couldn't understand what he was saying. He always spoke in such riddles, flowers and gardens, bumbles bees and butterflies. He prattled on for what seemed like hours...or for what could have been hours. Who knew how long she'd been lying there. Her eyes stared into the vast blackness surrounding her. No interior lights, no streetlights....nothing shone in through the black windows. When she'd first woken up, she thought she had died. She couldn't move any of her appendages, she couldn't turn her head. She was there in total awareness, but could not feel. Slowly her sense of touch began to return, she knew she was lying on something soft, and that she was stretched out. She knew something warm covered her, a blanket or large jacket perhaps. She could feel that she was moving...or rather something under her was. She was in a car....and that was when he began to talk. Was he speaking to her, or was he holding a conversation with someone else in the car. She couldn't move her head, or sit up to look up and see if anyone else was there besides... him. She heard no other signs of life besides...him. He must be talking to her then, she had rationalized. Yet, he wasn't, and after a while she'd tuned him out. 

Where was he going to take her this time? What was he going to do? He'd already ruined her, tainted her, dirtied her...what the hell else could he possibly do? He could kill her... 

Did the idea of that bother her? The darkness waited for her answer, it being her only company, for he was too busy talking to his imaginary companion. Could she handle knowing that he was probably going to kill her and be rid of all evidence of what he'd done? 

She wanted to chuckle as she contemplated that. He'd already killed her, and if he thought he had to kill her physically to be rid of the evidence than he dumber than she gave him credit for. She was dead to her old world, the world where she could be a hero, a wholesome, virtuous, strong heroine to be feared. Now she was a creature to be pitied, to be pitied and disgusted of, a creature who could taint the purest of people with one vile touch. She remembered Bubble's broken face in the woods... she remembered Blossom's stinging eyes, and the Professor's worried expression. She was the cause of their turmoil, people once so happy were being affected by her weakness. She couldn't be allowed to continue to contaminate her household, or that world... 

She no longer belonged, and if she didn't belong there, where else could she go but to death? Could death be sullied too? She wasn't sure, but if it could, she asked for its forgiveness. 

She snorted to herself, what a pathetic creature she had become indeed. So low that not even death could take her without her having to beg it to do so. Nothing wanted to be touched by her it seemed, not even the inevitable. But if she couldn't die, what else could she do? 

The car came to a stop, and suddenly the interior was filled with light. She shut her eyes against the harshness of it, and cringed as she felt hands roaming her small body, and lifting it. She felt herself being cradled, her head held against a well muscled chest. The scent of his aftershave was strong, making her feel nauseous... It was the same smell.... always the same... "We're home now, my little buttercup, I cannot wait for you to become a part of my garden. Now let's see...where to plant this pretty little flower..."

Please kill me...she pleaded silently. Please death... just this once make it easy. Please just let him kill me. I want to die on the outside as well.

I promise not to touch you if you make it quick.

  
  



End file.
